1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer security, and more particularly but not exclusively to systems and methods for securing data stored in the cloud.
2. Description of the Background Art
Cloud-based emails are examples of data that are stored in the cloud instead of locally in a user computer or server of a private (e.g., enterprise) computer network. Generally speaking, cloud-based email systems allow email users to send and receive emails without having to host and maintain their own email server. Examples of cloud-based email systems include the Microsoft Office 365™ email server and the Google Mail™ email server. A cloud-based email system is in the cloud in that it is employed over a computer network, such as the Internet. More particularly, a user may communicate with the cloud-based email system to send and receive emails over the Internet.
Although cloud-based email systems provide numerous advantages over on-premise, self-maintained email servers, cloud-based email systems are provided by a third-party and thus raise security and privacy concerns. In particular, potential users are concerned that emails stored in a cloud-based email system are accessible to the cloud-based email system provider and may be readily provided to other parties, such as in response to a subpoena, for example.